safari

Enock and Me

'safari' in swahili means journey (not the band). And boy, have I been on a safari this past week.

I literally went on a safari with a with two of my friends here, Derek and Melissa. We went to Masai Mara, a wildlife park in Kenya, that's an extension of the Serengeti Desert in Tanzania. It's the best park to go on a safari in Kenya hands down! And even at this time, it's even more amazing because the zebras and wildebeests are migrating together, so the park is filled with both of them. We were able to see 4 of the Big 5 - which is a named dubbed by hunters to the 5 hardest animals to hunt - elephant, cheetah, rhino, hippo and buffalo. Our tour guide Fred took us around the 700 square mile park, and we were able to see all but the rhino. To see these animals in their natural surroundings and not in captivity was incredible. 10 feet, 5 feet, we were almost close enough to touch God's creation in the wild. We were able to see the in their natural surrounds grazing, preying, eating, chillin. A lion and a lioness were taking a snooze in the grass 10 feet away from our car. 3 cheetahs were on the prey, stalking gazelles, having to maneuver around our car we were so close. A lion laying tired next to his kill is much different than seeing a lion in a zoo eat torn up meat given to him. Staring at buffalo hoping they'll move and not ram us is much different than watching them lazily stand around in captivity.

Just like the safari in Masai Mara, I've also been on a journey getting to know these boys. Each and every day I'm faced with challenges to get to know them on a deeper level. I think I've loosened up to them a lot, and they've seen that in me, and have in turn started to loosen up to me. Several of them have confided in me about their daily activities, about their past, about their lives in general. It feels great to be accepted by these boys, when I'm sure they feel just the same to be accepted by us. I was even invited by one of the boys, Enock, to where he grew up - his aunt's house in Nakuru - about a 9 hour bus from Mombasa. So immediately after my safari in Masai Mara, I made the trek to Nakuru to meet his aunt. Only by the grace of God, did I make it to Nakuru safely without any troubles. 2006 was the last time Enock had any contact with any of his family. So for 3 years, his family only imagined the worse, and thought Enock was dead. So after much excitement and disbelief, they finally accepted the fact that Enock was alive and well in Mombasa. Another blessing was that his mother was randomly visiting his aunt during Enock's visit. So he was able to see his mother, of whom he wasn't sure where she was. To catch a little glimpse of Enock's past, to hear a bit more of his history, to see where he grew up - I feel so blessed to be apart of this. I've entered a new journey in my relationship with Enock that hopefully will allow him to see that I truly care and love him for who he is. That is my wish with all the boys in the house. That it doesn't matter where they came from, what they've done, how they got here, but only who they are and the decisions they make now.

I've only just begun my safari into the lives of each of these boys, some further along than others. But hopefully, with the grace of God, they'll open their hearts and minds and allow me to enter their world, a world which they have let nobody into.

prayers:

first and foremost - The safari I've been with each boy. Hopefully they will continue to see me for who I am, and that in turn they will allow me to see them for who they really are. Specifically here are the names of each of the boys (in order of who i feel i have the strongest relationship with):
- Enock
- Farah
- Allan
- Mario
- John
- Samuel
- Muhammed

wisdom - Understanding how to deal with and handle these boys and situations that I encounter. Every day I'm faced with little things, such as them asking for money, or more clothes, or more "stuff". They maybe happy with such things if I give it to them, but really it's something deeper that they want and need.

love - I always thought I knew how to love people. Come to find out, that's not true at all. Love is all these guys want, and they are constantly testing my dedication to loving them. I'm realizing what sacrificial love is, and it's hard. Prayer that I'll just continue to unconditionally love these boys, and that I will be constantly overflowed with love.